Just a few more weeks of summer to go but we have endless Bullet Reviews to share! This week: Avengers #17, Fairest #18, Guardians Of The Galaxy #5, Hunger #2, It Girl And The Atomics #12, Lady Rawhide #1, Screwed #3, Superior Foes Of Spider-Man #2, and Superior Spider-Man #15
AVENGERS #17 ((Marvel NOW!)
My favorite thing about the Avengers THE Jonathan Hickman run is that half the time I have no idea what is going on. Not insulting the man by any means just am really confused 90 percent of the time I am reading the series. The Builders I thought were villains who were up to no good and now they are Avengers? I know plenty of villains wind up becoming truly remarkable heroes but these people wiped the floor with them and now they are just gonna align with them? This issue was the end of the Prelude to Infinity so it will just heat up from this point forward. The scene with Ex Nihilo smiling like a goober and saying he was an Avenger was just downright stupid. I hope they are milking up all these new “team members” so they have plenty of people to kill off during Infinity. I also wouldn’t mind Sunspot and Cannonball kicking the bucket seeing as they DO NOT deserve to be Avengers. I know they have been through just as much in life as any Avenger but they just don’t have what it takes to be Avengers. If they were going to ask any former X-Force why wouldn’t you ask someone the likes of Cable? I know they have had some differences of opinion with Hope but X-Men and Avengers have pushed aside their differences…for now. And Havok/Polaris/Multiple Man would have been great additions to the Bigger Avengers. But for now I will have to root for this team of misfits and no names (well not all of them but alot of them). -Nick Furious
FAIREST #18 (Vertigo)
The Prince Charming story continues and it’s getting interesting. The curse or whatever you like to call it really begins to take a toll on Charming’s body and he begins to lose bits and pieces, fortunately not the bits he likes the most, but while he and Nalayani share stories to pass the time, and well as distract from Charming’s decaying body, something happens that has never happened before: Charming begins to heal because he’s realized something… He loves Nalayani! Not like he loved his previous wives like Snow and Cinderella, this seems to be real love and it’s that love that begins to heal him and after he regains some of his strength they settle a feud with a talking crocodile then begin to find their way out of the desert of death. But when they go back to their camp they are going to find things have changed and one of Charming’s top guys is no longer around. Sadly, he may never be found because the Dhole have found him first! Now, while I’m naturally enjoying this story and look forward to how it ends especially with Charming back in the pictures, I have to say, this isn’t one of my favorite Fables related stories. It’s most likely because, for the moment, it’s only somewhat tied into the main continuity. I’m eager to see the fall out from this. Also: SWEET cover! -Skott Jimenez
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5 (Marvel NOW!)
Yay! Guardians was better than average! This series has been extremely disappointing but this issue was actually pretty damn good! The whole Tony Stark banging Gamora is still lingering from the last issue. It wasn’t funny then and it isn’t funny now. Tony Stark has become such a joke in the Marvel community. He is a goddamned Avenger. He is one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Don’t treat him like a CBS Sitcom star. But this issue didn’t lose points for the mildly retarded mistakes it made. No the issue was still a pretty good one. Even with no Groot and a very small scene with Drax. And This issue was still pretty good! I don’t want to spoil the ending but it was kind of what the whole issue led up to, so screw it I’m gonna go ahead and tell. Warning Spoilers Ahead. Two of the most badass bitches in the universe go head to head. We saw a slight foreshadowing of the explanation of how Peter Quill is once again, um here. And last but most awesome part is seeing Thanos! A great set up for Infinity. I think. I hope. I like it! Another! -Nick Furious
HUNGER #2 (Marvel)
As this story continues its path of awesomeness I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel dim. This issue definitely felt like another issue out of another Ultimate Universe event. Too disconnected from the Marvel (616) for me to take it seriously. Even though issue one was actually quite good, something about Rick Jones and the Silver Surfer teaming up felt…how do I put this? Childish? It felt silly like it was gimmicky or a sales trick. Silver Surfer is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe, he is very tricky to write. He is worlds beyond anything around him, yet he is so human he is nearly perfectly evolved. I did not get that feeling with this Surfer. Is that because in the Ultimate Universe The Surfer isn’t anything like his 616 Counterpart? I refuse to believe they would drop the essentials that make Norrin Radd what and who he is and hopes to become. It felt like there was little to no history with Galactus. But the artwork is incredible. Especially the cover is another Slam Dunk. But this issue wasn’t all bad and in fact I actually liked it even though my previous statement may be a contradiction of sorts. Hunger #3 shall choose which path I will take. Walk away from the Ultimate Universe for the third time or take the blue pill and see how far the rabbit hole goes.- Nick Furious
IT GIRL AND THE ATOMICS #12 (Image)
FINAL ISSUE
It’s finally here… the final issue of one of the more entertaining comics I’ve had the pleasure of reading over the past year. While there was more It Girl than Atomics here, it was the tone of the book that made it special. This issue reads like a final issue, sure, but also as a ‘thank you’ to the readers who went along for the ride over the last year. It’s a nice wrap as we get many of the ongoing story lines neatly wrapped up, enemies are finally captured and new alliances are forged. All in all, it doesn’t have the sad feel of a ‘final issue’ but it just feels like a ‘we’ll see you in a while’ feel. It’s also something of a jam issue, we have three artists working on it: Mike Norton, Natalie Nourigat, and a long time favorite of mine, Chynna Clugston Flores. The book is divided into three chapters, each one dealing with a different group of our reoccurring cast including The Skunk who gets a surprise offer, the group of pre-teen spies finally catch their man, and It Girl has things ‘under wraps’ as she deals with a nut with ‘mummy’ issues. It’s conclusions all around, along with some excellent art and great writing, all the things that have become the hallmark of this series. I’ve been singing the praises of this series since it started, it was a great series featuring everything that makes a great comic book and I’m sad to see it end. But if you’re curious about trying is, and I highly recommend it, the first half of this series is currently available in trade while the second and final volume will be available in September. -Skott Jimenez
LADY RAWHIDE #1 (Dynamite)
I’m not the biggest fan of western-style comics. I enjoy the occasional Jonah Hex comic because of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti writing it, and it definitely has a lot of entertainment value. I liked the appearance of some of Marvel’s western heroes in the occasional Avengers and West Coast Avengers issues. But beyond that I really just didn’t get into many of the other old-west style comics. So why did I pick this up? First off, Dynamite has not disappointed me with the quality of the books that come out. Even when I wasn’t sure if I’d like it personally, the quality of the book was still quite high. So imagine my surprise when I picked up this first issue of Lady Rawhide and found myself enjoying a western story. Now, it doesn’t live completely disjoint from everything else out there in the Dynamite universe. We know that characters such as Zorro and the Lone Ranger are present in Dynamite’s backstory and we see that Lady Rawhide has a passing familiarity because of that. Although the characters are not prominently displayed, we do see a brief appearance and so we get some context for the world in which Lady Rawhide takes place. Beyond that, the character of Lady Rawhide has some familiarity as well; she is very much Robin Hood in the old west. She delivers money and medicine to refugee camps while attempting to stay out of the crosshairs of the law. Alongside Rawhide, though, we also have a train robbery as is wont to happen in the old west. The lawmakers on the train are ready to defend the train, weapons drawn, until they discover that their would-be thieves are a gang of women which throws them off a little. One of the woman is injured while trying to escape since the surprise of them being women robbing the train only lasts for so long. She happens upon Rawhide and… well, this is how we are brought into the world of this book. Writer Eric Trautmann and artist Milton Estevam deliver a book that feels like many of Dynamite’s other titles, but simply taking place in the old west. It’s fun. It is full of action and energy. And yet it still looks like a western. Damn it, Dynamite, you have me potentially adding another book to my pull list. If issue #2 is as good as this one was, it will be added without question. -Kelly Cassidy
SCREWED #3 (Zenescope)
I’ve been reading this title since it appeared on the shelves and this modern-day twist on the Frankenstein story is actually really interesting. The title itself is a play on the stereotype of how we all envision the Frankenstein monster to look – 2 bolts sticking out of the neck – but also with the consideration that the “monster” character is – for lack of a better word – screwed. It’s a solid story hat has now finished its half-way point (as it is a 6-issue limited series) and the story keeps pulling me in more and more. Just as Zenescope did for the various fairy tales and imaginative worlds in the extended family of their Grimm Fairy Tales line, they are bringing the Screwed story to the masses but not under that umbrella. As it is more science than fantasy in terms of its origins, it makes sense was to why the book is kept disjoint. The story continues of the “monster” – whose name is Anne – who has been missing for some time. Because of the missing time as well as the surgeries that have been performed on her – we can see the scars visually on the character – she has the occasional delusion where she sees… well, anyone as a monster coming for her. She reacts quite violently, and with the implied surgeries and body part replacements she appears to have had, she has the strength to put behind it. The story from Tyler Kirkham and Keith Thomas is interesting and the art from David Miller – to me – shows inspirations from J. Scott Campbell and Tom Raney in there with some of the facial expressions and how the characters basically hold themselves up. As someone who read a lot of comics in the 90s, that’s most definitely not a bad thing. It’s a style that I appreciate and I can see the elements and inspirations there, but still with a uniqueness that is Miller’s own. From a book – cover to cover – this was a good read. I will say that I think this is one of the books where the entire story will be a better read than each individual issue, so if you can’t find all of the back issues to date wait for the trade and pick that up. -Kelly Cassidy
SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #2 (Marvel NOW!)
On one hand it’s nice to finally have another Marvel NOW! title that I like but on the other hand it’s kind of sad that the only way I can get into another Marvel NOW! title is if it’s a Superior Spider-Man book. I can’t help it though, this series is a lot of fun, it’s the same kind of light-hearted, yet mildly subversive, humor that made books like Nextwave an all time favorite series of mine plus it has an artistic look that is equal parts Nextwave and Journey Into Mystery. In other words: it’s going to be a series that will most likely get a small but rabid following. With characters like Boomerang, Speed Demon, Beetle, Shocker, and Overdrive comprising the new Sinister Six (apparently they have a silent member but I think Boomerang is just making stuff up) you would think this book would fall flat but Nick Spencer is able to make these lovable losers interesting and there is enough off-beat humor to make it worth while. But that humor is really brought to life by Steve Lieber who seems to be having more fun than he probably should be having especially when you look at sequences like the bit where the Punisher crashes their dinner. The part with Speed Demon make me laugh out loud. Twice (I went back and looked at it again after I finished reading the book). It’s obvious we’re still in the ‘feeling out’ part of the series and that’s fine, this is a different sort of series and if we’re going to make it an ongoing then we really do need to flesh these characters out more. I’m looking forward to moving to the meat of what we’re going to be getting in this book though. But for now we have the makings of something special: characters that are surprisingly entertaining, a great writer who seems to have a solid plan in place, and an artist who obviously gets it. Mix it all up and you have a Superior comic book. One that must be enjoyed by all! -Skott Jimenez
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #15 (Marvel NOW!)
The best thing that comes with each month is two new Superior Spider-Man. This is the only book that brings some new information/twist/BOLD MOVE in each and every issue. This series is what trades were made for. You have this insanely charming and bewildering concept that just clicks. And Slott never lets you leave empty-handed! How long has Shadowland been around? Not sure? A damn long time that is how long. When the X-Men were attacked on Utopia during Avengers vs. X-Men we never saw Utopia again. WTF? Maybe there are still people living there? No one knows! Mainly because every time X-Men changes hands the scenery changes or gets retconned. Slott does not let that happen. Yes he has changed some big things and made some BOLD MOVES but it has done nothing but make Spider-Man have one of the greatest runs of all time. In another bold move Slott reveals that Phil Ulrich is the Hobgoblin as he stands in front of all of his peers at the Daily Bugle! WHAT!? Who does something like that!? I will tell you who Dan F’N Slott! BOOM! And just like that the issue ends!? Awesome. Just awesome. Can’t wait to read more. -Nick Furious
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